Experiences

Come to visit the place where milion of poems was made, a place full of romanticism...with a mini cruise!!!

Starting from: PortofinoDuration: 7 hours

Depart from your hotel in Portofino to the port. Embark on a private boat and enjoy the splendid Cinque Terre coast. We will navigate viewing some of the most emblematic villages from the sea as per Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia. Stop in Vernazza for lunch at a local restaurant with a special wine tasting. All the Cinque Terre area is also known for its wineries. Time at leisure. In the afternoon back to your hotel by car."The village, dating from the early thirteenth century, is known for its historic character and its wine, produced by the town's vineyards. Riomaggiore is in the Riviera di Levante region and has shoreline on the Mediterranean's Gulf of Genoa, with a small beach and a wharf framed by tower houses. Riomaggiore's main street is Via Colombo, where numerous restaurants, bars and shops can be found.The Via dell'Amore is a path connecting Riomaggiore to its frazione Manarola, also part of the Cinque Terre.The village of Corniglia stretches along the main road, Fieschi Road, and the houses have one side facing this road and the other facing the sea. Corniglia is characterised by narrow roads and a terrace obtained in the rock from which all other four Cinque Terre's villages, two on one side and two on the other, can be seen. The town planning structure presents also original characteristics compared to those of the other villages: the houses are lower set, and only more recently higher, similar to those of the villages of the hinterland.First records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date back to the year 1080. Referred to as an active maritime base of the Obertenghi, a family of Italian nobility, it was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defence of pirates.Over the next two centuries Vernazza was vital in Genova's conquest of Liguria, providing port, fleet and soldiers. In 1209, the approximately 90 most powerful families of Vernazza pledged their allegiance to the republic of Genova.The first documented presence of a Church dates back to 1251, with the parish of San Pietro sited in 1267. Reference to the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia of Vernazza occurs in 1318. Some scholars are of the opinion, due to the use of materials and mode of construction, that the actual creation of the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia took place earlier, sometime in the 12th century. The Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia was expanded upon and renovated over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, and thereafter was erected the octoganal bell tower that rises from the apse.In the 1400s Vernazza focused in its defense against the dreadful and regularly occurring pirate raids, erecting a fortifying wall. In the mid 1600s, like many of the Cinque Terre villages, Vernazza suffered a period of decline that negatively affected wine production, and prolonged the construction of the trail system and harbor 'molo' (pier constructed to protect against heavy seas).In the 1800s, after a long period of stagnation, Vernazza returned to wine production, enlarging and creating new terraced hillsides. The result was a revitalization of Vernazza's commerce. Also at this time the construction of the Genova-La Spezia rail line began, putting an end to Vernazza's long suffered isolation. The population of Vernazza increased by 60% as a result. Meanwhile, the construction of La Spezia's Naval base also proved important to Vernazza in providing employment for many members of the community"

THE EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: Mini Cruise from Portofino to Vernazza, private guide, lunch at local restaurant in Vernazza including a wine tasting (3 courses and ¼ wine + ½ beverages), private car back to hotel.